August 30, 2010

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The rally set for the ninth anniversary of Sept. 11 against the Ground Zero-area mosque, which is being organized by conservative blogger Pamela Geller, is drawing opposition from a key 9/11 victims' families group that is asking that the event's date be moved and, if it isn't, that participants back out.

The word from "Where to Turn," a group that was launched by Staten Islander Dennis McKeon - who is not a victims' relative himself but who started a clearinghouse of information related to the attacks and to Ground Zero with Staten Island families - came in an email to their list just now, which is in full after the jump.

The email says that "such activities ...disrespect the memories of our loved ones on this sacred day at this sacred site."

The email notes there's an anti-mosque rally planned and also says there are reports of a pro-mosque rally being put in place - and Where to Turn is opposing both. (This is the first I'd heard of a pro-mosque event for that day).

McKeon and his group have often been at odds with Mayor Bloomberg - a major pro-mosque supporter - and other officials about issues related to the attack.

The rally being put together by Geller - who was highly critical of one 9 days ago that was arranged by 9/11 victims' relative Debra Burlingame, firefighter Tim Brown and others - will feature among its speakers Geert Wilders, a controversial Dutch politician known for what he's called his "hate" of Islam.

Others, including former UN ambassador John Bolton and commentator Andrew Breitbart, have given their blessing to the rally by recording videos to be presented at the event.

To All,

As most of you probably know there is a proposed protest rally against the mosque being planned for 9/11.

There are also reports that there is a pro mosque rally in the works for 9/11 as well.

Over the past 9 years we have had many issues with the way the site as well as the victim’s families have been treated.

Through it all we have always maintained the position that 9/11 was a day to respectfully remember and honor those who died.

We have always stood against any rallies scheduled for September 11th and we will do so again with these events.

We will be joining other 9/11 organizations in asking that the organizers change the date for these events.

If they refuse to change the date we will also ask those scheduled to appear to withdraw from the events.

Over the past 9 years more and more of what’s been going on at Ground Zero has excluded the families.

Just two years ago we had to threaten to hold our old ceremony to gain access to the pit.

This year we have been informed that 9/11 family members are being denied the right to read their loved ones names as the slots have been made available to people who have worked on the renovation of the site.

While it is appropriate to get others involved 9/11 families should never be denied this right.

All of these issues have and hopefully will be addressed going forward but we would never suggest that a rally be held to voice these concerns on 9/11.

Hopefully the organizers will reconsider and participants will back out if they don’t.

We will never support such activities that disrespect the memories of our loved ones on this sacred day at this sacred site.

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"Pandoras Box" has been opened by Bloomberg and "Big Brother" Obama once opened it cannot be closed. This is just the beginning.
Before there was the “Oracle at Delphi” there was Count Vampire J. Machiavelli
No More Schumer, Pelosi, Rangel, Engel

What we are witnessing here is our constitution being pitted again Islam and Sharia law....in our system we have seperation of church and state...in Sharia...there is no seperation...Sharia is a threat to our constitution and should be treated as such!

It is comments like the first two what will destroy this country. Your guns that you collected in fear of President Obama will not be able to go up against the trouble you are asking for. All you guys are doing is trying and protect something you have lost. You claim The President is Musulim but yet you say he sat in Rev. Wright christian base white church. You will bring an evil outcome to this country.

Bloomberg's presence at the memorial ceremony will do more to disrespect the victims and their families than a million rallies. Let's call for Bloombag to please stay home--or go play a round of golf with the imam in the UAE.

The Constituation does NOT say Seperation of Church and State....."It says that Congess shall MAKE no LAW respecting an establishment of religion".......The ACLU has hijacked our constitution, along with Letist Professors......Bloomberg is N.Y.latest nutcase in his CONTROL over people......Bloomberg also LIED when he said 100% of the 9/11 familiy members, buried under the twin towers were FOR the 9/11 mosque......They are NOT....Bring back Rudy....He had compassion, something Bloomberg does NOT.

Lest We Forget...
Allahu Akbar (God is great) were undoubtedly the last words uttered by the Islamic terrorist hijackers...as they they dove their fully fueled, fully loaded (with innocent passengers) airliners into the World Trade Towers...in rapid succession...on 9/11/2001.
What irony now...to have a towering,13 story,100 million dollar mosque...casting an ominous shadow over this empty pit of sorrow and grief...where the dead must hear these same words over and over and over again...in a daily call to prayer...literally..."over their dead bodies."

I swear, the righties sure are a monkey-see, monkey-do bunch - this is the current ignorant talking point making the rounds.

"I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between Church & State."Thomas Jefferson, 1802

At first it was opposed because it was Islamic, then, when that didn't work, it was opposed because it was insensitive to the families. Now that the families say that it's disrepectable to them to have the protest on 9/11, the same people say it's not about the families? Don't you see the irony?

Now the rallies by both sides on the mosque issue I oppose. Reason: the families who lost love ones on Sept11th should be given thier private space to mourn,to remember and try to bring solstice. Rallies can wait but thier privacy to remember and mourn should be respected by both sides of the coin. Seriously. There is a time and place for a ralley but give the familes thier space.

At some point in their life times, every family faces death, tragedy of some sort and pain and anguish that come with it. We mourn the lives lost, taken prematurely. But for havens sake, isnt it time to move on past 911 tragedy. I look around the strip joints at so called "ground zero" and I say to myself, we have definitely moved on - good for us. The 911 families must know they are being used by the politician and people who have to have a villain (read muslims for now, immigrants was the July flavor) to live out their otherwise empty meaningless lives. Come on people, it is done and over with, time to move along. And just keep in mind, for two towers that terrorist brought down, America has already invaded and destroyed two muslim countries for each of the tower and probably killed 10 times the innocent civilian (under the guise of collateral damage). Enough already. Oh yes, before the right wing nuts start trashing me, I am a republican but one that is sick and tired of politics before country.

What is wrong with this country? It is being consumed by hatred and selfishness. I am not a lefty but this mosque thing is so overblown and out of control that its become a national embarrassment. I realize there are alot of very loud people who hate Obama and will take every opportunity to yell and scream but Bloomberg is right. This muslim group already existed in the same neighborhood. The plans to enlarge their center have been on the books since Dec with even Laura Ingraham voicing approval until certain networks and groups decided to use it as a freshly minted wedge issue. What about freedom of religion? What about respect of private property? What about protecting the rights of minorities? How can you claim to support these ideas outlined in the constitution and openly protest them at the same time? And if people are so concerned about the sanctity of ground zero, I would think they would at least have enough resepct to allow the families that did suffer that one day to mourn in peace.

"I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between Church & State."Thomas Jefferson, 1802
Those stupid professors. They should call Beck for a more rounded education in the Constitution. After all, he was a top 40 DJ.

I think it is important for people to have respect for the people who lost family members on 9/11. If one of them is asking for the protests to be rescheduled we should respect that. I also think that it is VERY important to remember that there were also American Muslims who lost their lives on that day. These attacks in no shape or form reflect what Islam is about. The Quran is not 2-3 verses. It is a complete book. Please people we should all be standing next to each other and stand to together protect our Constitution and let these extremists know we will not be divided by their wicked acts. God Bless you all and may He put the TRUTH in your hearts.

I've never heard of this group. You say McKeon is not the relative of a 9/11 victim, but just started a clearinghouse of info on it.

What 9/11 families have signed on/are members of this group? The only actual relatives that have registered an opinion that I know of are Debra Burlingame, the pilot's sister, and David Beamer, Todd Beamer's father. Both in the no column.

Who are the 9/11 families that are pro-mosque? Just curious.

Posted By: I've never heard of this group. You say McKeon is not the relative of a 9/11 victim, but just start | August 31, 2010 at 05:19 PM

This rally starts at 3pm. It will in no way disrupt any ceremony. Where to Turn DOES NOT represent victims families and hasn't for many many years. It is a group that just does charity work on Staten Island now and is no longer a 911 involved

Someone wrote,
"What irony now...to have a towering,13 story,100 million dollar mosque...casting an ominous shadow over this empty pit of sorrow and grief...where the dead must hear these same words over and over and over again...in a daily call to prayer...literally...'over their dead bodies.."
First, FYI, I was in lower Manhattan on 9/11, because I was working in an office building just north of the WTC at the time. So this is a topic that gets a bit raw for me.
Second, FYI, in lower Manhattan, 13 stories is not "towering." It's a shoebox. There are other buildings all around the area that are much taller, including the two building complexes between the Park51 site and "ground zero."
Further, "ground zero" is now a construction site, not "an empty pit of sorrow and grief." By the time the Park51 center is built, which is going to be a while, the Freedom Tower will be finished and open and the "ground zero" area will be pretty much all built on.
So, Park51 will never cast a shadow over it. In fact, Park51 itself will be in the shadow of a 20-story office complex that stands between it and "ground zero." The center won't be visible from the old WTC site.
Also, the builders have said there will be no loudspeaker to issue the "call to prayer" in the neighborhood, so nothing Islamic wll be audible outside the building. The interior of the old Burlington coat factory already is being used for Muslim prayer services, and the sky did not fall.
And finally, if you don't live or work in NYC and have no personal connection to the atrocity, please butt out. thanks much.

How about human decency. Why would anyone build a mosque there? Why would they want the constant reminder of the destruction caused by the fringes of their own religion? They should seperate themselves from the radicals, not support them. It's a slap in the face.

Posted By: How about human decency. Why would anyone build a mosque there? Why would they want the constant re | September 01, 2010 at 10:24 AM